Original Vampires, Welcome to New Orleans (The Originals Seasons 1 and 2 Fanfic)

Chapter 16: Truth Unraveling

'You're distorting my memories. It was you who killed Tatia.'

'Oh, I used her blood to bind the spell that suppressed Niklaus' werewolf aspect. But by the time you brought her to me,' Esther said, 'she was already dead.'

'You can't rewrite history.'

'No, I cannot. And I did not... not until I had your consent. When you became yourself again, you brought her to me, but too late. And I said to you: "You will not suffer from this memory or be tormented from the guilt of your misdeed. What goes behind that door shall stay there and be forgotten. I told you to clean yourself up. That if you were clean, no one would know who you are or what you'd done. And you did exactly that... and more. You created a place in your mind to put your victims. You began to believe that as long as your suit was immaculate and your hands were clean, you could look in the mirror and tell yourself it's all okay. No one need know what's behind that red door. But a thousand years is a long time, Elijah. And a place that was meant to hold one unforgiveable sin is now full of bursting with your most monstrous deeds.'

'Stop!' he shouted.

'How long before your beloved Hayley's corpse lies behind that door? Or what of your girlfriend, Lilliana?'

'Stop,' he said.

'You must be afraid that loving you will destroy her,' she said, coming over to me and grasping my chin, 'as it destroyed Celeste, Tatia. Take my offer, the both of you. In new bodies, you'll be alive again. You'll be able to give her a child. That's what she wants, isn't it?' she asked, looking at me.

'Yes.'

'All you want is a child,' Esther said softly. 'That's all you've ever wanted and I can give you that, the family you've always wanted. To become a mother.' I looked up at her.

'The greatest gift I was ever given was your son, Esther,' I said. 'And he saved me. I wouldn't trade that for anything.'

'He cursed you, Lilliana. To a life of eternal bloodshed and torment.'

'He saved me from my father! My father abused me for years and Elijah gave me a home, someone to love, someone who didn't treat me like I was the reason for my mother's death! I have wanted a child, for years upon years, but for he and I, it doesn't matter. And you hate that. You hate that he and I have a life that we've always wanted. You hate that we are happier than you and Mikael ever were.' Without warning, she used her magic to wrap a rope around my throat and squeeze. I growled, fighting against my chains, but it was no use. She finally let go, and I let out a gasp.

'You will not break me,' Elijah replied.

'Oh, you are already broken, my dear boy, but not beyond repair. I am here to fix you. I am here to fix you all.'

Later...

'No more,' Elijah said weakly, hanging by his chains. I was hanging by my chains too, covered in numerous small injuries that were currently being prevented by healing from the steady amounts of vervain that Esther had been giving me.

'Please,' I gasped. 'Please, Esther, stop this.'

'I'm afraid we've only just begun. You will hang here remembering. And you - Lilliana, you will begin to see that the man that you love is a monster. Every atrocity you've hidden behind that door will emerge to haunt you. As you grow weaker, you will be ripped of your strength, your will, your hope. And as you rot here alone, you will reconsider my offer - a new life, a way to be freed of your demons, a chance at peace.' Just then Hayley sped up, and bit into her neck, causing the witch to collapse.

'Oh, that's about enough of that, don't you think?' she said. 'I would have ripped her heart out, but she would have just body-jumped me.' She came over to the chains, attempting to rip them off. 'How do I get these off?'

'The doll. There. Break it,' he said, motioning to the voodoo doll on the wall. 'She's using it to bind me, and Lilliana.' She broke both of our chains, and I crawled over to Elijah.

'You need to feed,' Hayley said, biting into her wrist and offering it to us. 'You're both weak.'

'I can't,' he gasped. I was about to, but he stopped me, placing a hand on my wrist. 'I crave you. My hunger, it could overwhelm me.'

'I'm not afraid,' she said, and parted her hair to the side to give him access to her neck. He bit down sharply.

Finn waved his hand in front of Elijah's face. His eyes were open, and so were mine.

'What did you do to them?' Finn asked.

'I let them both dream.'

'That's... considerate of you.'

'I cannot lead him out of the darkness by simply exposing him to the horrors of his past, nor her. I have to let him bask in his own version of a better world to come. And by the time he wakes, by the time they both wake, they will know the only way to find peace is my way.'